The present disclosure relates to the use of swellable packers in subterranean wellbore operations and related industries.
It is well known that swellable packers can be used to create a physical barrier isolating different zones of an open wellbore from one another in the drilling process. The packer assembly may be introduced downhole in an unexpanded form, until positioned within the wellbore where isolation is needed. The packer may then be mechanically expanded or exposed to a fluid (e.g., water) to trigger the swelling of the packer's seal element. The swelling or expansion of the packer is designed to create a barrier between the downhole string and the inner casing or exposed wall of the wellbore. These barriers are generally able to withstand high temperatures and pressures, allowing for complete isolation of different zones of the well. In some instances a retrievable packer may be used wherein the packer is introduced downhole and used for completion of a job, but is then retrieved by retracting the seal element so that the packer can be retrieved from the wellbore.
While embodiments of this disclosure have been depicted and described and are defined by reference to example embodiments of the disclosure, such references do not imply a limitation on the disclosure, and no such limitation is to be inferred. The subject matter disclosed is capable of considerable modification, alteration, and equivalents in form and function, as will occur to those skilled in the pertinent art and having the benefit of this disclosure. The depicted and described embodiments of this disclosure are examples only, and not exhaustive of the scope of the disclosure.